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Dominique Morriseau's Confederates Is a
Biting, But Surprisingly Humorous Piece

Kathryn Hunter-Williams stars as Sandra in PlayMakers Rep's March 5-23 presentation of Confederates (photo by HuthPhoto)

In these tumultuous times, it is imperative that we as an American society continue to talk about how our history surrounding race informs and even mirrors our present reality. Dominique Morisseau's Confederates, directed by Christopher Windom, put on by the lovely folks at PlayMakers Repertory Company, does just that. The story follows Sara, a slave in the Antebellum South-turned-Union spy during the Civil War, and Sandra, a modern-day college professor. The play jumps back and forth in time as the two strive to carve out their identities in worlds that are hostile to them.

The play is a biting, but surprisingly humorous piece; and I believe that this is its greatest strength. For example, in one scene, Sara makes fun of her brother Abner, who has joined the Union ranks, for being unwilling to kill by detailing that they have seen worse living on the plantation. By framing it as a joke, Morriseau is able to describe the horrors of slavery, explain how those enslaved were able to become desensitized to it, and hopefully get the audience to think about how cruel that would be -- an efficient and effective technique. But enough about the story -- let's talk about the storytellers.

PlayMakers Rep's March 5-23 production of Dominique Morisseau's Confederates stars Mengwe Wapimewah as Sara (photo by HuthPhoto)

First off, the headliners include: Sandra, played by Kathryn Hunter-Williams and Sara, portrayed by Mengwe Wapimewah. Hunter-Williams' Sandra is largely poised and even-keeled -- she has to be as she navigates office politics, disgruntled students, and a personal attack in which a racist picture was posted on her door. However, as the story moves on, we see the mask slip. We see her frustration as she navigates a divorce, her grief as she recalls her father's passing, and her anger as she realizes that even after all her hard work, her own peers do not accept her position at the university. Hunter-Williams has created a nuanced woman and a compelling deuteragonist.

Meanwhile, Mengwe Wapimewah stuns as Sara. Her character leaps headfirst into the Union cause with a sharp wit and sharp tongue to boot. Sara is able to stand toe-to-toe with her brother, with her former mistress, Missy Sue, and with her fellow slave, LuAnne, and part of why this is possible is because Wapimewah's comedic timing is impeccable. Seriously, she is able to make the darkest jokes land; and her physical reactions to the other characters are some of the funniest moments in the play. More than that, Wapimewah has depicted Sara as a determined woman who will survive if she does nothing else.

Tia James stars as LuAnne in PlayMakers Rep's March 5-23 production of Dominique Morisseau's Confederates (photo by HuthPhoto)

The supporting cast, consisting of Elizabeth Dye, Tia James, and Kristofer Wilson are equally as impressive. All play dual roles and completely switch characters at the drop of a dime. It is very impressive to see. Dye plays the reformed slave owner's daughter Missy Sue and disgruntled "socially progressive" college student Candice. To see her switch from the upbeat, over-the-top Missy Sue to the pessimistic, but equally over-the-top Candice is a delight.

Tia James portrays LuAnne and Jade, who take very different approaches to life, but ultimately want the same things. LuAnne, a house slave with a flair for the dramatic, has taken to sleeping with her master to gain protection for herself. However, this alienates her from her fellow slaves, chiefly Sara. Meanwhile, Jade, an educator with a background teaching community college, is alienated from her peers by her teaching style and her race and feels this most keenly from Sandra. James effectively portrays both of these women's stories and makes them both seem like real people rather than villains or victims. (I will also say that the exchange between Jade and Sandra is one of the strongest scenes in the play.)

Dominique Morisseau's Confederates stars Elizabeth Dye (left) as Missy Sue and Mengwe Wapimewah as Sara (photo by HuthPhoto)

Finally, Kristofer Wilson plays Abner, Sara's brother, and Malik, Sandra's student. He portrays the concerned, yet determined brother and the anxious scholarship student with ease. In particular, I want to praise his portrayal of Malik, who above all else is endearing despite his gender biases (the same ones that he accuses Sandra of having). All around, this cast came together on opening night March 8th and really gave this show their all. Every one of them did very good job.

The technical team pulled out all the stops as well. The set was nothing short of incredible -- the walls opened up to reveal Sandra's office, the floor opened up to bring characters and objects into the scene, curtains and a bay window were flown in, and projections were utilized to display the photo mocking Sandra. The genius of scenic designer Lex Liang allowed for a beautiful display and ease in moving and removing pieces, and the work of lighting designer Latrice Lovett allowed for smooth transitions and a heightened atmosphere.

Tia James stars as Jade in PlayMakers Rep's March 5-23 production of Dominique Morisseau's Confederates (photo by HuthPhoto)

The creations of costume designer Pamela A. Bond were amazing as well. The professors' pantsuits, the slave women's dresses, Missy Sue's ostentatious outfit, and the final outfits of Sara and Sandra, linked by an indigo hue -- they were all beautiful and intentional. I also thought it was cool that Bond designed Kristofer Wilson's costumes in such a way that he could transform between Abner and Malik onstage -- it helped with the scene transitions and bolstered the idea that the stories of the women were two sides of the same coin. Elton Bradman served as sound designer and composer, and all three elevated Morisseau's words and the actors' work to a whole new level.

As I conclude this review, I want to leave you with this: Ultimately, Confederates is a story about how black women fight for their right to exist in a racist society. Every bit of this play, from the actors' portrayals, to the set design, to the lights and sound, is implemented to further this idea; and the impressiveness of this cast and crew should not distract from it. I hope that if you go see it, you will reflect on the similarities between Sara and Sandra's stories and contemplate what it means to truly "die free."

Dominique Morisseau's Confederates stars Kathryn Hunter-Williams as Sandra and Kristofer Wilson as Malik (photo by HuthPhoto)

Dominique Morisseau's CONFEDERATES (In Person at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, March 12-16 and 19-23), directed by Christopher Windom and starring Kathryn Hunter-Williams as Sandra, Mengwe Wapimewah as Sara, Kristofer Wilson as Abner/Malik, Elizabeth Dye as Missy Sue/Candice, and Tia James as LuAnne/Jade (PlayMakers Repertory Company in the Paul Green Theatre in UNC-Chapel Hill's Joan H. Gillings Center for Dramatic Art). DIGITAL PROGRAM: https://playmakersrep.org/playbill-for-confederates/. TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2TP9jSUW0w. PRESENTER: https://playmakersrep.org/, https://www.facebook.com/playmakersrep, https://www.instagram.com/playmakersrep/, https://twitter.com/playmakersrep https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayMakers_Repertory_Company, and https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO7crv41zzCYf9HxRDUEVdw. 2024-25 SEASON: https://playmakersrep.org/season/2024-2025/. PRC BLOG: https://playmakersrep.org/about-us/our-blog/. VENUE: https://playmakersrep.org/about-us/paul-green-theatre/ and https://museum.unc.edu/exhibits/show/names/paul-green-theatre. DIRECTIONS/PARKING: https://playmakersrep.org/visitor-info/directions-and-parking/. CONFEDERATES (2022 Oregon Shakespeare Festival and 2022 Off-Broadway drama): https://www.concordtheatricals.com/p/95024/confederates, https://www.osfashland.org/en/productions/2022-plays/confederates.aspx, and http://www.iobdb.com/Production/6968. DOMINIQUE MORISSEAU (Detroit, MI-born actress, playwright, screenwriter, and 2018 MacArthur Genius Grant Fellow): https://www.concordtheatricals.com/a/100903/dominique-morisseau, https://playmakersrep.org/artists/dominique-morisseau/, http://www.iobdb.com/CreditableEntity/42109, https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/dominique-morisseau-520005, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5012077/, https://www.instagram.com/domorisseau/, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominique_Morisseau. NOTE 1: Seed Art Share of Raleigh will provide childcare during the 2 p.m. Sunday, March 9th, performance. Click here to buy a $25 Share-the-Show ticket for each child. NOTE 2: The 2 p.m. Sunday, March 16th, show will be an open-captioned performance -- with a "universal-access" live-caption unit, communicating dialog, stage directions, and sound effects -- followed by a post-show discussion. NOTE 3: Arts Access, Inc. of Raleigh will audio-describe and American-sign-language interpret the show's 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 19th, performance. WARNING: PlayMakers Rep cautions, "Please note that this show contains mature language (including racial slurs), discussions about race, and depictions of slavery. This production displays photographic nudity. A prop gun is used on stage." RUN TIME: Run time is approximately 90 minutes, with no intermission. TICKETS: $20 and up ($10 and up youth), plus taxes and fees. Click here to buy tickets. INFORMATION: 919-962-7529 or prcboxoffice@unc.edu. PLEASE DONATE TO: PlayMakers Repertory Company. Melissa Rooney's Triangle Review Review Permalink. Susie Potter's Triangle Arts Review Review.

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